When a harmless fantasy turns into a dangerous obsession about Tom Sawyer, every member of the League is a target for a woman who believes she and Tom should be together, in life and in death. But the League are also in danger from a new enemy. -P5-

Author's
Note: So here we have it. The
start of a new LXG story by me. Just like to say, right now, that
even though I will be writing this one, I will not be abandoning 'The
Bodyguard' (This is so cool, I
finally worked out bold, italic etc.).

Thanks to everyone who left a review
on the trailer of this story. Good to know people wanted to read
this. (Sorry, Clez, it's not Becky...) Hope everyone enjoys this.

Tainted
View.

~~~

Chapter
1:- Cover Her Face.

~~~

America...
land of the free. Since July 4th, 1776, when America
declared it's independence, it has changed and it has endured.

America
believed in freedom. The American civil war proved that, with black
people fighting to be equal. And while slavery was indeed abolished
after that, for decades afterwards the white people still treated the
black people differently.

America
was a country of hopes and dreams, where streets were paved with gold
and good intentions. It was the country where you could have your own
bit of land.

People
from all over the civilized world emigrated to the USA. Some came for
work, other's came for the gold that had been found in the mountains.
Yet more came to America in the aim to escape from Religious
prosecution. Christians, Jews, Mormons, even those who did not
believe in a God. These people, mainly Mormons, went on to found the
state of Utah.

Some
of the states became very Christian and formed what some people
called 'The Bible Belt'.

The
gold rush produced it's own mountain towns and people who became
known as 49-ers. The other people who came simply for the chance to
work called America 'The land of equal opportunity.'

And
so it was that, at the turn of a new century - 1899 - America was a
teaming mix of people each struggling to find their place in the
world.

It
was also round about this time that the American Secret Service came
into being. It was flooded by young men, eager to prove their worth
and to serve their country. Many woman also joined the Service and
while they could not go on missions and do daring deeds like the men,
they could do their part, at the American Secret Service HQ, at
Washington DC.

These
women, little more than girls dreamed of action and adventure, little
knowing that a danger was coming. Something that wanted to kill them
all. Something that could not be stopped by any normal agent.
Something... or someone.

The
American Secret Service HQ was about to fall...

Every
girl in who had an office job in the American Secret Service had a
favorite American Agent. During their coffee brakes they would ague
over which was better and count up the numbers of missions they had
completed. Sometimes a fight would happen if one girl loudly declared
'her' American Agent to be better than any other.

In each
girl's cubical besides the government issue black typewriter was a
photo of their chosen Agent and under it, a list of the missions they
had gone on. One girl's cubical was slightly different from the
other's. It too had the government issue typewriter but the photo on
the wall was torn at the edge as if it had once belonged to a larger
picture. The photo was of the American Agent Sawyer.

Though
they, themselves were blissfully unaware of the fantasying the girls
did over them, the American Agents were the movie stars of their day.

The main
clock on the wall was pointing at five minutes to noon.

The five
minutes slowly crept past. Most of the girls were busy working, a few
talking quietly at the side of the room. Everyone was looking forward
to midday, when they would get chance to have some lunch.

The big
hand ticked towards twelve. As it reached twelve it seemed to take a
shuddering breath as if the clock knew what was to happen.

The
first warning any of the girls had was the explosion. Many dived
under tables, trying to shield their faces. Others ran for the exit's
trying to get away from the fires that had sprung up all through the
building. Those that managed to escape the burning building were
gunned down by hidden snipers in empty buildings on the other side of
the road to the fire.

In an
upstairs room, almost exactly opposite the HQ, a man dressed
completely in black, including shinny black boots and gloves watched,
letting a low laugh escape.

Everything
was going to plan.

~~~

The fire
had finally burnt down. Now some American fire fighters moved through
the wreckage, hunting and hoping against hope that someone lived.
They had found the girls in the street, riddled with bullet holes,
their eyes still open.

The less
experienced fire fighter had vomited at the sight of so many young
dead woman.

But it
was in the wreck that the worst was found. Girl's burnt alive, their
bodies twisted. One was by the exit, her body badly burned. Her face,
amazingly enough seemed untouched, the eyes open and unseeing. It was
as if the eyes couldn't understand why they could no longer see.

The
oldest fire fighter turned his head away and shouted for blankets for
the dead girl.

"Cover
her face. For God's sake, cover her face!" He yelled.

~~~

The
Nautilus, called the Sword of
the Ocean by her Captain plowed through the sea, showing anyone who
might have seen her why she had earned her name. Onboard were a group
of men and one woman that together created 'The League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen'. A team
of amazing and individual people.

One
of these was Agent Thomas Sawyer of the American government. He was
heading toward the communications room, because one of Nemo's sailors
had told him a message had come for him. Tom was mildly curious, he
couldn't think who knew that he was onboard and would want to contact
him. Unless it was bad news... unless something had happened to
someone he cared about.

He
sped up, and by the time he reached the communications room, he was
running. First Mate Patel looked up from his work.

"Here
you are Sir." He said, handing Tom a folded message. "Private,
no-one has read it yet." He added, seeming to know that Tom
needed to hear that. Tom Sawyer nodded, took the folded paper and
left the room.

Outside,
he would the corridor empty. With shaking hands he unfolded the paper
and read the message, his eyes widening as he did so.

In
his Captain quarters, Nemo was enjoying a drink of a spicy tea. His
rest was interrupted by Agent Sawyer charging into the room, his eyes
wide and frenzied.

"Captain..."
He gasped out. "America asks for our help. Someone blew up the
American Secret Service HQ." Tom told Nemo. The Captain looked
neither happy or sad at this request. There was no hesitation as he
replied.

"Of
course we will help. We will set out for American at once." he
said. Tom's face lit up, as if he had been expecting a negative
answer. "Do they have any information on who did it?" Nemo
asked.

"No."
Tom answered. "Only... only that about fifty young woman were
killed."

Nemo's
only response was a slight tightening of his fingers and the way in
which his eyes seemed to burn. Tom looked slightly sick.

"They
burned to death... any that managed to get out where shot. Someone
didn't want these girls to live."

TBC...

Humm...
that's it for the first part.

~Sethoz

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.